diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 16da4b29..ffc90a25 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ Create a config file containing the stripe credentials, e.g.:
 {
   "client_secret": "sk_live_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
   "account_id": "acct_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
-  "start_date": "2017-01-01T00:00:00Z"
+  "start_date": "2017-01-01T00:00:00Z",
+  "request_timeout": 300
 }
 ```
 
diff --git a/tap_stripe/__init__.py b/tap_stripe/__init__.py
index a83740fa..aeef53d8 100755
--- a/tap_stripe/__init__.py
+++ b/tap_stripe/__init__.py
@@ -117,6 +117,8 @@
 
 DEFAULT_DATE_WINDOW_SIZE = 30 #days
 
+# default request timeout
+REQUEST_TIMEOUT = 300 # 5 minutes
 class Context():
     config = {}
     state = {}
@@ -186,11 +188,18 @@ def configure_stripe_client():
     stripe.api_key = Context.config.get('client_secret')
     # Override the Stripe API Version for consistent access
     stripe.api_version = '2020-08-27'
-    # Allow ourselves to retry retriable network errors 5 times
+    # Allow ourselves to retry retryable network errors 15 times
     # https://github.com/stripe/stripe-python/tree/a9a8d754b73ad47bdece6ac4b4850822fa19db4e#configuring-automatic-retries
     stripe.max_network_retries = 15
-    # Configure client with a default timeout of 80 seconds
-    client = stripe.http_client.RequestsClient()
+
+    request_timeout = Context.config.get('request_timeout')
+    # if request_timeout is other than 0, "0" or "" then use request_timeout
+    if request_timeout and float(request_timeout):
+        request_timeout = float(request_timeout)
+    else: # If value is 0, "0" or "" then set default to 300 seconds.
+        request_timeout = REQUEST_TIMEOUT
+    # configure the clint with the request_timeout
+    client = stripe.http_client.RequestsClient(timeout=request_timeout)
     apply_request_timer_to_client(client)
     stripe.default_http_client = client
     # Set stripe logging to INFO level
diff --git a/tests/unittests/test_request_timeout.py b/tests/unittests/test_request_timeout.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7fd523e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unittests/test_request_timeout.py
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+import unittest
+from unittest import mock
+from tap_stripe import Context, configure_stripe_client
+
+class TestRequestTimeoutValue(unittest.TestCase):
+    '''
+    Test that request timeout parameter works properly in various cases
+    '''
+    @mock.patch('stripe.http_client.RequestsClient')
+    @mock.patch('tap_stripe.apply_request_timer_to_client')
+    @mock.patch('stripe.Account.retrieve')
+    def test_config_provided_request_timeout(self, mock_retrieve, mock_req_timer, mock_client):
+        """ 
+            Unit tests to ensure that request timeout is set based on config value
+        """
+        config = { "client_secret": "test_secret", "account_id": "test_account", "start_date": "test_start_date", "request_timeout": 100}
+        Context.config = config
+        configure_stripe_client()
+        # Verify that the client is called with config provided request timeout
+        mock_client.assert_called_with(timeout=100.0)
+
+    @mock.patch('stripe.http_client.RequestsClient')
+    @mock.patch('tap_stripe.apply_request_timer_to_client')
+    @mock.patch('stripe.Account.retrieve')
+    def test_default_value_request_timeout(self, mock_retrieve, mock_req_timer, mock_client):
+        """ 
+            Unit tests to ensure that request timeout is set based default value
+        """
+        config = {"client_secret": "test_secret", "account_id": "test_account", "start_date": "test_start_date"}
+        Context.config = config
+        configure_stripe_client()
+        # Verify that the client is called with default request timeout
+        mock_client.assert_called_with(timeout=300.0)
+
+    @mock.patch('stripe.http_client.RequestsClient')
+    @mock.patch('tap_stripe.apply_request_timer_to_client')
+    @mock.patch('stripe.Account.retrieve')
+    def test_config_provided_empty_request_timeout(self, mock_retrieve, mock_req_timer, mock_client):
+        """ 
+            Unit tests to ensure that request timeout is set based on default value if empty value is given in config
+        """
+        config = {"client_secret": "test_secret", "account_id": "test_account", "request_timeout": ""}
+        Context.config = config
+        configure_stripe_client()
+        # Verify that the client is called with default request timeout
+        mock_client.assert_called_with(timeout=300.0)
+        
+    @mock.patch('stripe.http_client.RequestsClient')
+    @mock.patch('tap_stripe.apply_request_timer_to_client')
+    @mock.patch('stripe.Account.retrieve')
+    def test_config_provided_string_request_timeout(self, mock_retrieve, mock_req_timer, mock_client):
+        """ 
+            Unit tests to ensure that request timeout is set based on config string value
+        """
+        config = {"client_secret": "test_secret", "account_id": "test_account", "request_timeout": "100"}
+        Context.config = config
+        configure_stripe_client()
+        # Verify that the client is called with config provided request timeout
+        mock_client.assert_called_with(timeout=100.0)
+
+    @mock.patch('stripe.http_client.RequestsClient')
+    @mock.patch('tap_stripe.apply_request_timer_to_client')
+    @mock.patch('stripe.Account.retrieve')
+    def test_config_provided_float_request_timeout(self, mock_retrieve, mock_req_timer, mock_client):
+        """ 
+            Unit tests to ensure that request timeout is set based on config float value
+        """
+        config = {"client_secret": "test_secret", "account_id": "test_account", "request_timeout": 100.8}
+        Context.config = config
+        configure_stripe_client()
+        # Verify that the client is called with config provided float request timeout
+        mock_client.assert_called_with(timeout=100.8)
\ No newline at end of file